VANCOUVER, B.C. – Expectations can weigh heavy on a young player, and much has been expected of Vancouver Whitecaps' winger Kekuta Manneh since he came to Major League Soccer as an 18-year-old in 2013.
A clear natural talent, Manneh has shown enough flashes of brilliance over the past two seasons to show what a force he could become in the game. Those glimpses of grandeur also have many waiting for the young Gambian's breakthrough season.
Manneh put in an electrifying first-half display in Vancouver's 3-1 loss to Toronto on Saturday, giving the visitor's defense a torrid time and perhaps indicating that this year could very well provide that eagerly awaited leap forward.
"He was a joy to watch in the first half, as was the team," 'Caps head coach Carl Robinson said of Manneh's performance against Toronto. "If he’d scored three goals on Saturday in that first half, then I think people would be saying he’s at that next level. He’s got to continue doing what he’s doing. Continue to work hard, continue to learn every day and get fitter, which he is doing.
"First 45 minutes, he was fantastic, without obviously scoring the goal,” Robinson said. “... You have ups and downs. On Saturday the first half was an up. The second half was a down, for the group. He’s no different to any other player, but boy, when he’s on he’s exciting to watch."
Consistently putting it all together to take his game to that next level is now key for both Manneh and the Whitecaps, and you couldn't get a clearer example of that than Saturday's game.
As good as Vancouver were in that first half, they looked like a different team in the second – flat and unable to get any offense going. Manneh in particular found it difficult to get past a far more organized Toronto backline and looked a shadow of the player on display earlier in the game. That's been a familiar story, as the rigors of playing at that fast pace for a full game proves hard to sustain.
Saturday's match was only the fifth time that Manneh has played the full 90 minutes for the Whitecaps. Last season saw him used more as an impact player off the bench, starting just 13 of his 30 appearances over the year, and Manneh admits that he is still making the adjustment from game-changing sub to starter.
- Get more Vancouver news at WhitecapsFC.com
"It will take a while to get used to it, get that game fitness going," Manneh told reporters at training on Monday. "I've worked hard in the preseason and the offseason, and I feel really fit. It'll take a few more games to get there to 90 minutes fitness, so it'll take a little while."
There is no doubt that Manneh has all the attributes to be a key cog for the Whitecaps this season, but there's no talk from him about this being his breakthrough year. The focus is simply on continuing to improve. He knows what he needs to do to get there, and the Toronto game was just the next step.
"I thought [Saturday] was the best performance I've had so far," Manneh said. "Definitely I need to score goals. I need to score as much as I can. I feel like I'm a good finisher. I have a lot of chances in the games, I just need to put my head down and finish them. I think I need to improve that in my game."
